The Game
Started in 1995, the annual event held in Portland, Oregon at the Rose Garden for the second consecutive year, pits the USA Basketball Select Team, made up of senior American high school stars, against the World Select Team, made up of international players 19-years-old or younger, with each team comprised of 11 players. The international flavor of the event is made more pronounced by using international rules.
Currently holding a 9-2 edge in the tournament is the USA Select team, having lost only lost to a Dirk Nowitzki-lead World team in 1998 on a day when the Mavs superstar scored 33 points and took 14 rebounds. The other loss came in 1996. Famous alumni of the event include Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowtizki, Kevin Garnett, Derek Rose, Tony Parker, and many others.
A showcase for the talents of young basketball players across the world, alumni of the event are well-represented in the NBA, as 47 USA alumni and 13 World alumni currently play at the highest level of professional basketball. A truly unique event during the high school all-star game season, the USA team has a rare opportunity to represent their country. The game will be televised live Saturday, April 11, on FSN at 9 pm CT.
For a preview of the game, check here.
The Rosters
USA Select
- Avery Bradley, guard, Texas
- DeMarcus Cousins, forward, Kentucky
- Derrick Favors F 6-9 220 South Atlanta H.S. /Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA
- Adul Gaddy, guard, Washington
- Xavier Henry, forward, Memphis de-commit
- John Henson, forward, North Carolina
- Leslie McDonald, guard, North Carolina
- Mason Plumlee, forward, Duke
- Mike Moser, forward, UCLA
- John Wall, guard, Undecided
World Select
- Matias Nocedal, guard, Argentina
- Edwin Jackson, guard, France
- Nikos Pappas, guard, Greece
- Mateo Gaynor, guard, Argentina
- Mamadou Samb, forward, Senegal
- Tomislav Zubcic, forward, Croatia
- Milan Macvan, forward, Serbia
- Donatas Motiejunas, forward, Lithuania
- Kevin Seraphin, center, France
- Zhang Dayu, center, China
Players to Watch
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Avery Bradley - Texas fans just can't seem to get enough of Bradley, who moved into the top spot in ESPN's rankings after virtuoso performances at the McDonald's All-American game and at the first-ever ESPN RISE NHSI, at which his Findlay Prep squad took home the national championship, beating formerly top-ranked and undefeated Oak Hill Academy. Fortunately for those insatiable Texas fans, Bradley will not only compete at the Hoops Summit, but also in the Jordan Brand Classic a week from Saturday. By now, it's apparent what Bradley will provide: tremendous on-ball defense, incredible speed in the open court, consistency on mid-range jumpers, and a highlight-reel dunk or two. Braldey has already posterized one Serbian who happened to get in his way, so Milan Macvan better be careful:
The Best of Avery Bradley (via NikeHoopSummit)
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John Wall - Still undecided and at the center of the controversy that had Rick Barnes saying that Scott Drew crossed the line with him because the Baylor coach hired Wall's former AAU coach in an attempt to bring the talented Wall to Waco. The ploy has not worked, as Wall is considering Kentucky and Kansas. Ineligible to play in the McDonald's game, this will be the first chance to see Wall in action, a player Avery Bradley defended so successfully on the summer circuit last year that Bradley began to seriously rise in the rankings.
John Wall Mixtape (via ONEent)
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Matias Nocedal - Continuing the long line of successful Argentinian basketball players, Nocedal's rights are currently owned by European powerhouse Tau Ceramica. Most impressively, Nocedal scored 15 points in only 16 minutes against the United States for an easy victory in the gold-medal game of the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championship.